1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: One day I had an idea. I called the boys 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: to the gym, divided them up into teams of nine, 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: and gave them an old soccer ball. I showed them 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: two peach baskets i'd nailed up at each end of 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: the gym. I told them the idea was to throw 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: the ball into the opposing team's peach basket. I blow 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: a whistle, and the first game of basketball began. Ten 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: years later, basketball was being played all over the country, 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: and in nineteen thirty six I saw it played for 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: the first time at the Olympic Games. And the whole 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: thing started with a couple of peach baskets I put 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: up in a little Jim forty eight years ago. I 13 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: guess it just goes to show what you can do 14 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: if you had That's the voice of doctor James Naysmith 15 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: from a nineteen thirty nine radio interview describing the day 16 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: in eighteen ninety one when he invented the game of basketball. 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: It's crazy to think of how basketball has grown here 18 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: in the States and around the world since its beginnings 19 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 1: at that YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. What's even wilder is 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: that only about ten years after nay Smith hung those 21 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: peach baskets and referee the first game of basketball ever played. 22 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: In eighteen ninety one, there were already reports of American 23 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: soldiers spreading the gospel of hoop in Manila and other 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: parts of the Philippines. The history of Philippine basketball goes 25 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: back more than one hundred years. It's a long story, 26 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: but you need to know it if you want to 27 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: understand the role basketball and the MBA playing the Philippines today. 28 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: This is episode two of Hoops Paradise, the Philippines Love 29 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: of the Game, brought to you by iHeartRadio and the MBA. 30 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: Hey everyone, my name is Cassidy Hopth. I'm a reporter 31 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: for ESPN covering the NBA both on the sidelines and 32 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: in studio. I'm also have Filipino. My mother is from 33 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: the Philippines, but I've only been back to the Philippines twice. 34 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: We're here to learn more about basketball in the Philippines 35 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: and to help us do that, my partner in crime, 36 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: Nico Ramos. Hey, that's me. I'm here in the Philippines. 37 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: My official job designation as president of Cassidy Hubbard's fan Club, 38 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 1: but also I'm an editor for Slam in the Philippines, 39 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: and I work for a basketball company full time. That's 40 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: actually what I do at Titan. We're going to take 41 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: a deep dive into anything and everything that has to 42 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: do with basketball and the Philippines. To figure out how 43 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: basketball became the cultural force that it is today in 44 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: the Philippines. We have to go way back. First. We 45 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: need to explain some historical basics about the centuries of 46 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: first Spanish and then American colonial rule that preceded Philippine 47 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: independence in nineteen forty six. It reminds me of something 48 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: I've always wondered about. The line that appears in so 49 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: many of the Philippine travel guide books produced here in 50 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: the States. Were explains the colonial period by saying, the 51 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: Philippines spent three hundred years in a convent and fifty 52 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: years in Hollywood. Look, if you have to boil down 53 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: the nation's history into a snappy one liner that you 54 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: can print onto some guide books, you could really do worse. 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: The line does capture something real about the colonial whiplash 56 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: that Filipinos lived through, beginning with the Spanish period's conversion 57 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,839 Speaker 1: of the Philippines to a majority Catholic nation and then 58 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: giving way to the go go commercialism of American culture. 59 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: Of course, those three hundred and fifty years of colonial 60 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: history are also filled with stories of Filipino resistance and 61 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: nation building that don't come across when we focus solely 62 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: on which foreign power impose its rule on the country 63 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: at a given time, or how Filipinos have adopted parts 64 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: of Spanish an American don't forget the Japanese influence and 65 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: adapted them over time to create cultural hybrids that exist 66 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: only in the Philippines. Let's take, for example, something we 67 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: hold near and dear to our hearts, adubo, only taking 68 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: us two episodes before we brought up a double. It's 69 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,679 Speaker 1: the unofficial dish of the Philippines. It's a very weird 70 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: example for us to start with. But you know, play 71 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: along with me here, trust me, you don't have to 72 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: talk me into adobo. Just though the chicken and pork 73 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: in a pot with soy sauce, you know, vinegar, some 74 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: bay leaves a whole grip of garlic massarat, Yes exactly. 75 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: It's something that we all grew up with and it's 76 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: probably something that we all still cook at home. But 77 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: every few years here in the Philippines, we go through 78 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: the same public debate about the origins of adubo, which 79 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: was introduced during the Spanish colonial era, of course, and 80 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: the sides are always the same, right. One group argues 81 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: that adobo doesn't deserve its reputation as a national dish 82 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: because it's not a native recipe, and the other side 83 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: kind of rolls its eyes and says, you still eat 84 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: it though. Right. One of the country's great writers, the 85 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: late Nickoaquin, even wrote about the adobo debate in an 86 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: essay collection published almost forty five years ago. We've been 87 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: fighting about this for this long, but here's the quote 88 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: that really captures his point. If you tell the Pinoia 89 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: on the street that adobo is but a thin veneer 90 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: of westernization, the pinoia may retort that, as far as 91 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: he's concerned, adobo is as Filipino as his very own guts. 92 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: And indeed, one could travel the world and nowhere find 93 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: anything quite like Philippine adobo. It's the same for other 94 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: colonial influences on Philippine culture. Philippine Catholicism is not Spanish Catholicism. 95 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: Philippine English definitely is into American English, and Philippine basketball, 96 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: I'm sure isn't the American game. The US may have 97 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: introduced the sports, thank you very much, but we definitely 98 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: made it our own. And that's where our man, doctor 99 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: Lou Antealihau comes in. When it comes to the early 100 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 1: history of Philippine basketball, our expertise only go so far. 101 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: We can get things started with the basic timeline like this. 102 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: Spain seeded ownership of LUs East Las Philippine US to 103 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: the United States in eighteen ninety eight at the end 104 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: of the Spanish American War. The US actually paid Spain 105 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: twenty million dollars to purchase the territory. The promotion of 106 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: sports was an important facet of US colonial rule, and 107 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: basketball arrived in the Philippines in the early nineteen hundreds. 108 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: American soldiers were the first to spread the game along 109 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: with other sports. After the Philippine American War, they moved 110 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: to Manila as well to look after some of the 111 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: needs of American soldiers. We caught up with Professor Lou Antelihau, 112 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 1: the foremost expert the colonial roots of basketball in the Philippines, 113 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: to fill in some of the details. So they set 114 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: up camp in Manila. But then ten years after they 115 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: decided to set up an actual YMCA in Manila to 116 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: cater to mainly American and European citizens young men who 117 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: live in Manila during that time. So that's how it starts. 118 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: Basketball was entertainment for Americans and Europeans in Manila, with 119 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: Filipinos spectating. Filipinos didn't officially get off the sidelines and 120 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: start hooping until nineteen ten. In nineteen ten, there's this 121 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: Physical Education Instructor YMCA missionary who was assigned to Manila. 122 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: He was coach a basketball coach in the University of 123 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: Illinois before that. His name is Ellwood Brown, and so 124 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: Ellwood Brown formalized you know, the introduction of basketball in 125 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: the Philippines. He organized a YMCA team in By nineteen eleven, 126 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: hoops had been added to the fized curriculum in the 127 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: new American run public school system. Here's a twist in 128 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: that early guide for teachers, basketball was suggested as an 129 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: activity for schoolgirls who were considered too delicate for baseball 130 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: or track and field. In nineteen twenty four, universities in 131 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: Manila established their own NCAA, and college hoops were an 132 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: immediate hit as a spectator sport for well to do 133 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: you know it's in the Capitol. That started the popularity 134 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: in basketball because college students are seen as you know, 135 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: educated and you know, they're the future of the nation, 136 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: and basketball has taken on this connotation as a modern 137 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: sports and therefore part of modernity, and taking part in 138 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: basketball is like taking part of something new, something modern, 139 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: something exciting. It's not a stretch to say that Filipinos 140 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: learned to play basketball at a high level before almost 141 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: every other nation but the United States, and that head 142 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: start made the national team international powerhouses in that era. 143 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: A few years after that, they dominated, you know, the 144 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: local competitions. From nineteen thirteen to nineteen thirty four, the 145 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: Philippines won gold gold at nine of the first ten 146 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: basketball tournaments. At a biannual regional competition called the Far 147 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: Eastern Championship Games. In nineteen thirty six, we were among 148 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: the nations to participate in the first Olympic basketball tournament, 149 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: and that team went four and one and deserved to medal. 150 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: Eighteen years after that, we did just that at the 151 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty four Pheble World Championships, a team led by 152 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,000 Speaker 1: Carlos Colloi. The big difference. Loizaga still considered by some, 153 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: including myself, to be the greatest player in the country's 154 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: history because of the glory he brought us on the 155 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: international stage, that team, led by that man claimed bronze, 156 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: and that's still the finish an Asian team has ever 157 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: achieved at a world level turn and all throughout that 158 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: half century of success, the Filipino's love of the game 159 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: just kept growing and growing. Basketball is a major cultural 160 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 1: force has existed far longer in the Philippines than it 161 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: did in the States and maybe any other country in 162 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: the world. It's a global game here and now in 163 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, and every year as more and more 164 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: international players join NBA rosters, it becomes clear that the 165 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: rest of the world has caught the bug. But when 166 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: you go back to the advent of the sport, it 167 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: really sounds like Filipinos were patient zero for basketball fever. 168 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: I actually pulled up one of my favorite quotes from 169 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: an early legend of the Philippine games from an article 170 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: look at Me, citing my sources in nineteen thirty three 171 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: and written by Ambroscho Padilia, who would go on to 172 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,679 Speaker 1: be captain of the nineteen thirty six Olympic team and 173 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: then serve in the philip Senate after his playing career, 174 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: by the way, way too overachieve. Seriously, he says, if 175 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: you want to know where a little Pedro is at 176 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: the sizzling hour of two in the afternoon, amble to 177 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: the nearest basketball court, and there you will find him 178 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:19,319 Speaker 1: judiciously throwing a bouncing ball into a hoop. The ambition 179 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: of every healthy boy now is to be a basketball player. 180 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: His hero is no longer the baseballer, but the basketballer. 181 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:31,679 Speaker 1: How is anyone supposed to judiciously shoot jump shots? Like? 182 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: What does that even mean? Was little Pedro also practicing 183 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: sensible layups and prudent crossovers out there? Like, who's got 184 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: the most judicious shot in the NBA right now? First 185 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: of all, if your crossover is prudent, it's not working. 186 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: I think that's why I never made it. I think 187 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: my crossover was too prudent, It was too respectful out there. 188 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: But seriously, it is amazing to think that basketball was 189 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: already a major force in Philippine life, with heated college 190 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 1: tournaments and thriving semipro commercial leagues and a national team 191 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: preparing to make its debut on the Olympic stage. All 192 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 1: the way back to Padilia's day, I mean nineteen thirty three. 193 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: That's more than a decade before the NBA had its 194 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: first season. It's like when you look at the phenomenon 195 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: of Philippine basketball from the perspective of Little Pedro or 196 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: any pinoid growing up surrounded by this ubiquitous, seemingly limitless 197 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:34,080 Speaker 1: love for the game, there's nothing really surprising or mysterious 198 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: about the country's passion. Sure, in twenty twenty three, the 199 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: Philippine national team is no longer competing for medals at 200 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: the Olympics and World Championships, and the country has never 201 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: produced a home grown NBA player, But Filipinos sports heroes 202 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: have been basketball players since before Americans had NBA players 203 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: to look up to. The little Pedro of today has 204 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: grown up with hoop dreams passed down to him from 205 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: his parents' grandparents, probably even great grandparents. That's generations of 206 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: neighborhood tournament rivalries, generations of rooting for the family's favored 207 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: college and PBA teams, generations of stories passed down about 208 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: the greatness of local legends with names like Khloe Loizaga, 209 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:22,040 Speaker 1: Ramone Fernandez, Alan Kadik, and Samboy limb One could travel 210 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:26,559 Speaker 1: the world, and nowhere find anything quite like Philippine basketball. 211 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: After the break gets time for the Gala glesson and 212 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: a quick debate over the origins of the side step. 213 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: I think you meant euro step past. It's time for 214 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: this week's Tagala glesson. Are you ready? Game? Nah? I 215 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: see you've got prepared all right? I love it. Okay, 216 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:57,319 Speaker 1: let's start with this. Say that back to me, sa 217 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: sa Eric, Oh pull sah, Eric. I think I got it, 218 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: But what are you talking about? Exactly? Oh? You got it? 219 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: You got it really well, you're really getting good at this. 220 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: That one's a little old school, probably the sort of 221 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: thing your uncle might say while watching a PBA game. 222 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: It literally means sit book in the air er er, 223 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: but roughly, you know, it means hang time. And it 224 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: describes a type of move that made household names out 225 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: of players who were gifted enough to do it. Basically, 226 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: the players were the Doctor Jay's and Michael Jordan's and 227 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: Dominique Wilkins's of Philippine basketball in the eighties and nineties, 228 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: aggressive athletic wings whose bread and butter on the court 229 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: was attacking the rim and thrilling crowds with creative finishes 230 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: above the rim. Only the PBA versions of those NBA 231 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: icons weren't between six six and six eight like their 232 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: American counterparts. They were more like six one or six 233 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: three on a me good day. And you know, players 234 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: like Samboy, Limb, Bong Alvarez and Veryhelminess would elevate a 235 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: step or two inside the free throw line, float through 236 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: traffic as if they were sitting on a cloud, and 237 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: then flip gorgeous layups through the net, under and around 238 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: the outstretched arms of defenders. Hence the term adding here 239 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: see for yourself, Sambo Limb, Barty, that's the worst thing 240 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: the boys the following the open mark because you always 241 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: want the biggest strong the skywalker and I understand why 242 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: smooth with it, nice hang time using the glass. Also 243 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: with the crossover and the gather. Oh, the misdirection and 244 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: absolutely adjusting in the air. I'm impressed the fact too 245 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: that his skywalking is different from like NBA skywalking, where 246 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: you know, in the NBA's going up, up up up him. 247 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: He kind of just goes slightly up, but he kind 248 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: of just stays there for a while. I think is 249 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: why he's so special. Yes, all right, roll the tape 250 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 1: on my man Verhell meness, let's do it. Get away 251 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: a little up an under action on the double rim, right, yeah, 252 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 1: the double rim in the Pro League. He's quick, by 253 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: the way, can can I can I give a shout 254 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: out to aerial Voyager as a as a nickname. It 255 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: sounds really cool, aerial voyager, right it translates to someone 256 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: who's ridden a plane. Yeah, well yeah, I mean I 257 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: was actually thinking like a spaceship like it was giving 258 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: me Star Wars vibes, and I was like, this guy 259 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: is you know, Darth Vader coming for you. No, he's sturdy. Yeah, 260 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: he's a he's a strong dude. Oh with the fake out, 261 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: he was very nimble. You can go around the all 262 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: that not find this many highlight layoups on a mixtape. 263 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: But we got a dunk. We've mastered the layout. But yeah, 264 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: he can. We mastered the layout. I mean, Nico, watching 265 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: NBA basketball is a big part of my job. I 266 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: mean I watched thirty games per week at minimum, all 267 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 1: played at the highest level of the pro game. And 268 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 1: you know, I just saw PBA guards finishing at the 269 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: rim with enough style and skill to impress job Brant 270 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: Like I get that we don't see many drives like 271 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: those in the NBA because players in the league generally 272 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: finish above the rim. But all those spins and up 273 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: and unders and kiss us off the glass. It's like 274 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: something out of like an alternative universe. Yeah, the jelly 275 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: started here. The jelly started here. For all intensive purposes. 276 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,199 Speaker 1: Guys like Sam Boy and Verhell grew up in a 277 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: parallel basketball universe to the NBA guards of their era. 278 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: They didn't have access to hours and hours of game 279 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: tape to study, you know, the moves of Doctor J 280 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: David Thompson or George Gervin. The stars of the PBA 281 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: had plenty of their own hang time to work with, 282 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: and they created their own language of acrobatic finishes, moves 283 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: that had a lot in common with the n BASE style, 284 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: but also included flourishes that an American pro might have 285 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: never seen in his entire career. Now, are you ready 286 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: for the move that Philippine big men developed in their 287 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 1: parallel universe. It's not quite as glamorous as but we 288 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: call it the Killikili shot. Wait, why does it sound 289 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: so familiar? Oh? If your mom ever tickled you as 290 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: a kid, she probably went for your that means under arm. 291 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: So the killikilli shot in Philippine basketball literally refers to 292 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: a low post move called the under arm shot. Watch this, 293 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: What do we got here? What that looks like a mistake. 294 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: He's literally tossing up an underhand layup almost from his knees. 295 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 1: For everybody who's listening, what happens is you're posting up 296 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: right and then when you turn, your defender has his 297 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 1: hands up. You take the ball, You kind of squeeze 298 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 1: it into his armpit area, like by his side, under 299 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:21,479 Speaker 1: his arm and you just kind of like flick it 300 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: from there. There's no way an armpit is going to 301 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,719 Speaker 1: block a shot. It's super easy, super easy from up. 302 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 1: If I get it near his palm, he can block it. 303 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: But if I squeeze it through like right the side, 304 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 1: right right millimeters like under his armpit, that's yeah, that's 305 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: great offense up and under the armpit. Yeah, that just 306 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: that looks like some sort of like ballet move. That's 307 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: a graceful. I think it's like the opposite a graceful. 308 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: But also it goes in. So two points is two 309 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 1: points crafty? There, it is crafty. That was Yeah, I 310 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: don't know exactly what that was. But crafty sounds about right. 311 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: That's his shot too, That's his shot. That's that's all 312 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: when I've covered since he was in college, like he's 313 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: been making that shot, like he like his livelihood is 314 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: that shot. If it works, it works. I mean it 315 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,199 Speaker 1: definitely wasn't pretty. How did he even create an angle 316 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 1: for that shot while scooping it under his defender's armpit. 317 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: The armpit is the key. The arm pit is the key. 318 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,640 Speaker 1: If the defender didn't extend his armpit to be exposed 319 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: like that, there wouldn't have been an angle for the shot. Yeah, 320 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: pbe big men kind of got the short end of 321 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 1: the basketball multiverse stick compared to the slashing, levitating, floating, 322 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 1: aerial voyaging guards. But don't be fooled. Takes a lot 323 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: of guile and skill to execute such an awkward move 324 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: in games and in terms of the game inside the 325 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: game and players seeking a mental edge over their opponents. 326 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: Just imagine how a defender feels giving up two points 327 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: and usually and one on an ugly underhand flip that 328 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: tickles his arm pinion. The humiliation alone might take his 329 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 1: head out of the game. Yeah, I'd be picking up 330 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: flagrant files after two buckets. That's why I don't doubt it. 331 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: The reason we're highlighting terms like and the kill shot 332 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 1: is to show how sheer physical distance between the Philippines 333 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: and North America created the conditions for Filipinos to develop 334 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: a unique, homegrown style of play that, like the nation's 335 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: love of the game, was unlike anything else in the world. 336 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: But you know what they say, life finds a way, 337 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: and over time, despite huge geographic and technological barriers, the 338 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: Philippines and its white hot basketball culture were destined to 339 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 1: come in contact with the best league in the world 340 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: and Nigo. Now, isn't there some story about how a 341 00:21:55,520 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: Filipino might have inspired the skyhook? I mean, yeah, there is, 342 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: but you know, it always seemed like kind of more 343 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: of a tall tale rather than a clear example of 344 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: Philippine basketball in the NBA influencing each other. But here's 345 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 1: the story anyway. So Kurt Bachman a big man who 346 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: played for the Philippine national team in the nineteen sixties. 347 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: He was known as mister hook Shot, and a rumor 348 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: went around that a young Llewell Cinder before he famously 349 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabbar had observed Bachman 350 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: working on his go to move when Team Philippines held 351 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: training camp at UCLA before heading to an international competition. 352 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:43,680 Speaker 1: Some folks speculated that the site of Bachman draining hook 353 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: shots convinced young Kareem to perfect the sky hook. I 354 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: mean imaginative. That were true, a pinoy planting the seat 355 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: that Kareem cultivated into the most unstoppable scoring weapon in 356 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: basketball history. It would be the ultimate feather in our 357 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: hoops loving nation's cap. But if it sounds too good 358 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,439 Speaker 1: to be true, that's because it probably is. Kareem never 359 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 1: confirmed the story, and Bachmann was far from the only 360 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: player with a hook shot in his bag back then. 361 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: This one never quite passed the smell test. And by 362 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 1: the way, if this even had an ounce of truth 363 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: in it, trust that we would have been telling the 364 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: story over and over and over and over again at 365 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: every chance we get. But there is another move, though, 366 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: one that's far more common in today's NBA than Kareem skyhook, 367 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: that was a staple of Philippine basketball long before it 368 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: showed up on us turf. We call it the side step, 369 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: but in the league and around the world, it's called 370 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 1: the euro step step the euro Are we really about 371 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: to try and swipe credit on that one from Manu Jenoble, 372 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: the man who's so beloved in NBA and international hoop 373 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 1: circles that he's practically up for sainthood. No no, no, no, no, 374 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 1: no praise Manu. This is a Manu loving podcast. I 375 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: didn't mean to say that Filipinos are responsible for bringing 376 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: the eurostep to the NBA. If we did it, it 377 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,360 Speaker 1: would be known by its correct name, or at least 378 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: its local name, besidestep. But I, along with countless other 379 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:29,479 Speaker 1: Philippine basketball lovers, swear to the high heavens that Pinois 380 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: guards have been executing that same perky, jerky, horizontal footwork 381 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: to shake defenders off and set up wide open layups 382 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: for decades. Manu popularized the move in the NBA, but 383 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: We've been sidestepping for as long as any other basketball 384 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: nation in the world. And then the sidestepped moved by 385 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: Scottie Thompson. I'm sure there are other places and other 386 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,159 Speaker 1: players that say they were doing it before Manu did it. 387 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 1: And if sidesteps specialist elm Reyus had turned pro in 388 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: the NBA in nineteen eighty five, stead of the PBA. 389 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: Then NBA players might have adopted the move fifteen years 390 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: before Man who brought his electric games to the States. 391 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: All Right, I'm convinced, but I still think we could 392 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: use a second opinion on this one. Unfortunately, Sev Sarmenta, 393 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: the beloved Philippine sports broadcaster who's been among the nation's 394 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,160 Speaker 1: top play by play announcers for the past forty years, 395 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,920 Speaker 1: is here to walk us through the Philippines claim over 396 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 1: the Sidesteps origin STORYLUS makes another US recital drive definitely 397 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: a little bing Alvin Patrimonio. Sev told us about the 398 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: first players he noticed doing the eurostep, even before elmur Reyus. 399 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: I do distinctly remember watching a player named Danni Florencio 400 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: who played in the old up against the legend Sonny Jaworski. 401 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,680 Speaker 1: They had great U e ust battles, and I distinctly 402 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: remember because I wanted to play like Danni Florencio. He 403 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: had such a move, which is probably a forerunner of 404 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: the euro as we know it today. There's also the 405 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 1: possibility and I'm sure Sonny Jeworski had his own version 406 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: of the euro But back then then, even the play 407 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 1: by play announcers back then, I've gone from Willie Hernandez 408 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: they kill the phone, so Jackersia. They called it the 409 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 1: side step because it looked like you were doing a 410 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: sidestep instead of moving forward. Then, as you mentioned, elm 411 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 1: Reus brought it to a fine art and everybody thought 412 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: it was traveling. Actually, speaking of name discrepancies, Sev explained 413 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: how el Marius's sidestep move came to be referred to 414 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 1: as his Marco Polo move by PBA announcers. The late 415 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: Pingue panks and loved to coin phrases, and he would 416 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: probably watch a ton of NBA games, and he was 417 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: a wordsmith by his own legend. You know, he had 418 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: worked in advertising, he was a DJ, and he left 419 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: to coin these phrases. He go of course coined cardiac 420 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,240 Speaker 1: finished and all those other great terms. He felt that 421 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: it was not indirect reference to the move of elma Reyus. 422 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 1: He felt that all traveling violations were Marco Polo moves. 423 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,399 Speaker 1: It's not one of his best lines actually, but the 424 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: Marco Polo move was because Marco Polo was a traveler, 425 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 1: and therefore all traveling violations were a Marco Polo moved. 426 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 1: It was not specific to Elma Reius' move. Everybody thought 427 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 1: that Elmer's move was traveling. Even I thought it was 428 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: traveling until people got used to it because he did 429 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,200 Speaker 1: not change his favot food. Call it what you want, 430 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 1: but it's interesting how the PBA in the NBA developed 431 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: in parallel, separated by the Pacific. You've got that uniquely 432 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: crafty PBA style with their under arm shots, floating layups, 433 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: and an occasional questionable elbow. Their skills are a wild 434 00:27:55,960 --> 00:28:00,640 Speaker 1: and wooly open for basketball, but you also see familiar 435 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: moves like the eurostep or the hook shot. Historically, when 436 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:07,159 Speaker 1: NBA games were less accessible in the Philippines, it was 437 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: challenging to the leagues to influence one another, which is 438 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: how we're still able to debate the origins of the 439 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:17,360 Speaker 1: side step. But nowadays it's a different story. NBA's influenced 440 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: the PBA, no question about it, because one not, especially nowadays, 441 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: the game is everywhere. We see it in the morning, 442 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: we see it in the evening, we see it on 443 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: our devices. Let Filipino players or Filippino fans loved the dunk. 444 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,719 Speaker 1: We cannot dunk because of our size, are high and everything, 445 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: but We can definitely do the crossover, dribble between the legs. 446 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: We can do our own version of Lebron and Michael Jordans. 447 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: We can dribble between the legs. Take blind or behind 448 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: the back passes. Oh well, what that is an honoraboy 449 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: bubble pass. Our coaches also adopt the NBA place the 450 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: language they use there, let's use the elevator. There's the 451 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: elevator doors right there. And Curry it took two screens 452 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: to free him up. We see that with the Warriors, 453 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: of course. Then there's the ball movement of San Antonio. 454 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: Almost every PREBA coach has some virgin of the motion offense. 455 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: And there's the triangle offense, which thinkhon has mastered and 456 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: has made certain adjustments, has tinkered with it, has made 457 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 1: these own derivations. Don't worry, we'll hear more about that 458 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: from the legendary coach Tim Cohen after the break. Before 459 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: we go, though, Cassidy, do you remember Betamax tapes? Are 460 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 1: you talking about like the precursor to VHS tapes? What 461 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: is this? Nineteen seventy five thanks to Sony's revolutionary Betamax 462 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: deck which hooks up to any TV set. Now you 463 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 1: can automatically videotape your favorite show even when you're not 464 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: home and watch it anytime you want. No, not that 465 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: far back, we're going back to the nineties. We're talking 466 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: free internet, Manila. I always tell our guy it's a 467 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: quote I've learned from Phil Jackson where he goes, I'm 468 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: all about moving forward. If it works out, great, if 469 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: it doesn't work out, great, But I'm all about moving forward. 470 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,479 Speaker 1: And that's one of his quotes that I took from him, 471 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,520 Speaker 1: And when I learned that as a coach, that's the 472 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: one that really moved me up to another level. I'm 473 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: not even going to pretend to play it cool on 474 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: this one, Cassidy. I'm straight up giddy, almost jealous even 475 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: but you get to hear it coached him Cohen story 476 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: for the first time. I don't know if there's a 477 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: better or more mind blowing example of the NBA touching 478 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: Philippine basketball from Afar. I've known coached him for years 479 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:51,520 Speaker 1: now and consider him a great friend. And even though 480 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 1: he's an American by birth, his basketball life has almost 481 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: entirely been shaped and has taken place in the Philippines. 482 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: You see, his family moved to the country from Oregon 483 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: when he was just nine years old, and he learned 484 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: the game first as a high school player and then 485 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: as a coach on this side of the Pacific. The 486 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: setup for his story is that back in the early nineties, 487 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: when he was at the beginning of his PBA coaching career, 488 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: a young Tim Cohen went looking for an offense that 489 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: would fit the way he wanted his team to play. 490 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,080 Speaker 1: He found what he was looking for in the dominant 491 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: NBA force of that era, MJ. Phil Jackson and your 492 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 1: Chicago Bulls, and the inspiration he took from that team 493 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: set him on a path so becoming the winningest head 494 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 1: coach in PBA history, with more championships on his resume 495 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: than anyone else who's ever walked the sidelines on a 496 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: PBA court. Hold up say Less and save some for 497 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: coached him. That was a defensive minded guy. And so 498 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: I was really searching for an offense. And you know, 499 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 1: I tried a Bobby Knight type of motion, and I 500 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,800 Speaker 1: tried doing sets, and there was just nothing that really 501 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: appealed to me. And I was really looking for something different. 502 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 1: And I just happened to be watching the Bulls off 503 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 1: that feed a military feed and they were the popular team, 504 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: you know, because Michael had just started there, Bill Jackson 505 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: had come Tech Swinner was there, and they were starting 506 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: to run the triangle, and at that time, no one 507 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: was really putting the name to what they were running. 508 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: And it was just like an epiphany for me. I 509 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: saw it, and it was just something there that I 510 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: really liked. And I say now, but it was at 511 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: a time at that point where I just felt like 512 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,520 Speaker 1: the Bulls were doing something different. The Bulls were like 513 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: dancing and everybody else was playing basketball, but the Bulls 514 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 1: were so coordinated, you know, they just looked like they 515 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: were dancing out there, and it just appealed to me, 516 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: and so I started to break it down. I recorded it, 517 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: and I broke it down pass forward and rewind, trying 518 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: to find the different passwords they were making, the patterns 519 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: they were doing, and eventually I just started to learn 520 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: the system and I started to incorporate it with what 521 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: we were doing here in my own team in the PBA. Ironically, 522 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: that year that I tried to implement the triangle without 523 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:17,959 Speaker 1: really knowing it was the worst year in the history 524 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: of our team, and I almost got fired. In fact, 525 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: that probably got fired for like ten minutes, and then 526 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 1: I got rehired. But the following year we had our 527 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: best year, and then the following year after that we 528 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 1: started winning championships with it. And I guess that's where 529 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 1: it all started, was right there. Coach Tim has probably 530 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: told me that story a dozen times. I probably asked 531 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 1: for that story all dozen of those times, because every 532 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: time it feels like a revelation, a tale of basketball 533 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 1: devotion and ingenuity and cultural exchange that probably couldn't happen 534 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: anywhere else but here in the Philippines. Well, it's ingrained, 535 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: I think from the it really is. It's hard to 536 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: understand that, but it's been ingrained too. When you're in 537 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: the cradle, there's a basketball. Someone puts a basketball in 538 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: your cradle, and you sleep with that basketball, and you 539 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: grow up. And when you're growing up and you're a 540 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: little kid here, your parents are watching the TV and 541 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,360 Speaker 1: they're jumping, enjoying, and you don't want to what the 542 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: heck is going on, So you get interested and you 543 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,320 Speaker 1: start watching, and before you know it, you are jumping 544 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,400 Speaker 1: enjoy for joy. And then you're having your kids, and 545 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,839 Speaker 1: your kids are going through that same process and it's 546 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 1: been a generational. It really has been generational, and it's 547 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,799 Speaker 1: so long before me. It's really it's in a way 548 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 1: it's sad, but you know, but for the basketball people, 549 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,320 Speaker 1: it's exciting. It's the only game in town. We don't 550 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: really have spectator sports. We don't have baseball as a 551 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:52,879 Speaker 1: spectator sport. We don't have obviously American football. We don't 552 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: have soccer as a spectator as a true spectator sport. 553 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: About the only thing that we really have is boxing 554 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: through many pack yao. And we have you know, women's volleyball, 555 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: which is which is really amazing. You know, I walked 556 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 1: the streets and you know, literally everybody knows me because 557 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: I'm on Primetime TV three or four times a week, 558 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 1: you know, and they're all watching the games. And you know, 559 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 1: I always kids spo that he's of course referring to 560 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:23,160 Speaker 1: coach Eric Spoelstra of the Miami Heat. I coached a 561 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: game of fifty four thousand people watched the game. We 562 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 1: were at the Philippine Arena playing I guess arrival at 563 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: the time, moralco and we went to the Filipino Arena 564 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: and played a game six where we had fifty two 565 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 1: thousand people, and then we went and played Game seven 566 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: and had fifty four thousand people watching games. Imagine that, 567 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: fifty four thousand people watching a basketball game. I mean 568 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:50,360 Speaker 1: the regular US you know arena, an NBA arena, and 569 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, twenty twenty five, twenty three, you know, 570 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 1: this was fifty three thousand people. So it's just ingrained 571 00:35:57,440 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: in the everyday life. I remember growing up here and 572 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 1: we always used to talk about you know, there's religion, 573 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: there's politics, and there's basketball, and those are three things 574 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,040 Speaker 1: you talk about in the Philippines. Talking to coach Tim 575 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: was also a great way for us to dip our 576 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 1: toes into the PBA because starting with episode three, we're 577 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,840 Speaker 1: diving head first into stories about the former NBA players 578 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: who have come to Manila and found basketball second lives 579 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 1: as high scoring imports. I see they talked to the 580 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 1: coaches in the front front of the bus. He gets 581 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: out and he talks to them and then he sends word. 582 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: He says, Andy rubbed, come out. My heart drops. I 583 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:42,720 Speaker 1: think I'm gonna get kidnapped and health ransom. Sometimes imports 584 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: would lie about their heights, and Kenneth Olwood just clarifying 585 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: and crystallize what this really the truth. It was definitely 586 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: the roughest, tumblest, puritiest form of basketball I've ever played in. 587 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 1: So my first year, you know, I got cut a 588 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: lot because I never backed down from putting my face 589 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: right there, and I wasn't smart enough to figure out 590 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:07,840 Speaker 1: how to get my face out of the way and 591 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: still get the job done